New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-14

indecences and proofs Of the continued prevalence
Of murderous violence, maintains that the refor-
nation Of manners was whollyhypocriticaL Hypoc-
risy Is vice Of individuals. not OF pubic
and there is no instance of its ever having peen
rractsed on such scale as is here supposed
Moreover, there is nothing In Mr.. Symonas
selected stories to show whether society al the
period to which they belong was growing petter
OF growing worse. He Acknowledges tha1 "o
need not adopt the opinion that society hao
greatly altered for the worse" we must father
decide that the piety which distinguished the
Catholic Revival "was not influential in curblns
vehement passions" We may decide that III
was not omnipotent how far it was influential
Is n question which he does not give us the data
for answering.
II Is I'm the second volume that Mr.. Symonds
puts forth his finest powers when lie offers criu-
cal studies of Tasso Guarini, Marine, ChiabreTa,
1assonl Palestrina, Ciordano Bruno, Sarpl and
the Bolognese school Of painters. The essay on
Tasso fills brilliant chapter of biography and
still more remarkable section on the Jerusalem
Delivered" In the former the story OF the poets
madness is told with comprehension OF mehta'
disorder and a convincing common sense "hicn
seem TO dispel the mystery long wrapped apouo
that melancholy affair, and Iassos personal cnar-
acter Is described with an acuteness wnlch seUS une
man before us with all his littlcness and lolpies'
10 there is some lack of sympathy In the account
of the poet there is none in the discussion Oh
his great poem. Mr. Symonds assigns the Jeru-
salem Delivered higher place than some moderh
writer's are disposed to grant it, and he susUa'ns
his opinion with great force and care Ills ~ch-
nical criticism shows research and his hterpreEi-
lions are full OF poetic feeling IL Is a hapPy
touch which compares the spirit of Iasso with
hrno oil in
and all the following passage is both eloquent
and subtle:
What was 1t then that Tasso, this child OF
later and colder age" as Shelley called him, gave
of permanent value to European literature We
have seen that the Gcrusalemme ala not lulnh oe
promise OF heroic poetry for that emnent'y u'i-
heroic period We know that neither the Nirglliah
hero nor the laboriously developed thene coih-
mands the interest Of posterity We fecl uhat
religious emotion is feeble here, and that inc
classical enthusiasm OF the Renaissance II oh
the point of expiring In those LAtlnisuc aftiices'
Yet the interviewer romance contains Il soiI0oiine
difficult TO analyze, intangible and eVan' sceh'-
"un non so che, 10 the poets favorite phr"sc-
which riveted attention in the sixteenth century,
and which harmonizcs with our own scn>iblhy
to beauty. Tasso, in one word, was INC Po'|
not of passion. not of humor, mol oil plet!' ho'
Of elevated action, but OF that new ana uhdehheu
emotion which we call sentiment. Unknown 10
not evolved with elcarness from romance, amen
m tho svmnatiies OF the Renaissance as determined
hy the Classical Revival sentiment tat u'n %
che" OF modern feeling waited FOR It's nrSt apoo"-
lypse in 1asso's work The phrase when nave
quoted and which occurs frequently In ths
roet's verse indicates the intrusion OF new ele-
ment into the sphere of European feeling. vague
indstinct avoiding outline the phrase " un non
50 chez leaves definition TO the instinct Of those
who fecl but will not risk the limitation OF
Init fipfri ~ VOr6
The remarks On the later poets perhaps show
ooual penetratiou hut are not 70 be so cordially
praised The sensuaty Of these writer's is de-
scribed with a supernuous minuteness and some
illustrative quotations obscene 20 the lowest de-
oree are enough 70 make us rub our eyes ana
wonder if we read Alright 1t seems 10 he ncccs-
sarv for students occasionally To wade through
the literature of putrescence like the last relics
Of the decayed secular deal but we are willing
10 put up with the brefest account OF their
experiences. The chapter on Pacstrina is an al
mirable explanation OF his work, and clear
statement of its influence In the development Of
modern Italian music subject upon which Mr..
Symonds writes with feeling and intelligence.
Music was the only form Of art which remained
10 the Italians after the exhaustion Of the r.
Nuisance, and Ii form peculiarly adapted
both to their temperament and their condition.
creation of Italian muslc-for that is not too
strong a tcrm-was the direct work OF the Catho |
Nc Revival. Pdlcstrina devised his reform under
a commission from the Council Of Trent, and II !
WAS put into effect by the Papal authority
The chapter on GiOrdano Bruno shows the line |
upon which the argument Of Mr.. Symonds might |
nave been most strongly constructed His tastes and
pursuits have led him 10 the study Of the poetry |
and painting of the sixteenth century. The prob
lemat.c influence OF the Counter Reformation upon |
these decadent arts, already cfIcte before the |
Counter Reformation began, is repeatedly and We
hemently stated in the course of his work, but |
IL is nowhere demonstrated In philosophy and |
physical science. however, the Is very differ
ent. Here there is room for discussion into |
which MIR. SymOnds probably felt no disposltio |
to enter, for he has done little than indicate
the chief points, leaving their development 10 |
scholars OF another turn. We have no right 30
quarrel with him for not stepping outside his |
proper walk